Surgical instrument.



' Wifr'wssesr W. GATERMALL. SURGIGAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 23,1906.

PATENTED DEG. 24,1907:

.52 van i021 Aiiorneys rm: "clams PETERS co., wAsMmamNflwm WILLIAM GATERMAN, OF MANITOWOO, WISCONSIN.

SURGICAL INSTRUMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 24, 1907.

Application filed November 23, 1906- Serial No. 344.668.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WVILLIAM GATERMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Manitowoc, county of Manitowoc, and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Surgical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in surgical instruments for removing obstructions from the esophagus.

It is well known that the upper portion of the esophagus comprises a narrow, flattened passage and that obstructions therein are removed with difliculty by means of the ordinary surgical tools.

The object of my invention is to provide a special tool for this purpose which will be effective to remove bones or other foreign material which may have become lodged, or embedded in the wall of the esophagus.

In the following description reference is had to accompanying drawings in which,

Figure 1 is a perspective View of my invention. Fig. 2 1s an end view of the same.

The handle 1 is formed of flexible material provided with a head 2 at its lower end from which a series of branching prongs 3 extend, these prongs being arranged to curve out- Wardly from the head and inwardly at their extremities, the prongs being preferably curved in the arc of a circle having a diameter considerably larger than the distance between the central portions of oppositely disposed prongs. The free ends of the prongs are separated a little more widely than at the branching head or point, the inward curve at the free ends being slight but suflicient to permit the ends to readily pass downwardly in the throat of the patient. They are also preferably made slightly resilient. In the construction illustrated there are four of these prongs disposed symmetrically on the head and forming an open cage, but the number of prongs may be varied without departing from the, scope of my invention.

In use, the prongs are pushed downwardly in the-throat of the patient to the point Where the obstruction is located, and then rotated to dislodge the same from the wall of the esophagus after which it may be engaged between the prongs or against the head and pushed downwardly to the stomach or the larger, lower portion of the esophagus. The prongs are especially useful for the removal'of splint bones or bone slivers, the .points of which become embedded in the wall of the esophagus. The prongs straddle these small bones and when the instrument is l turned, the bone is cramped or bound between two engaging prongs and may not only be dislodged but in some cases removed from the throat, while in other cases, it is merely dislodged and pushed downwardly.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,

In a tool of the described class, the combination of a handle and a series of prongs connected withone end thereof and arranged to form an open cage, the free ends of the prongs being bent inwardly in broad open' curves.

In testimony whereof I a'l'hx my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM GATERMAN.

Witnesses:

O; R. ERWIN, LEVERETT 0. WHEELER. 

